December Blog

This article is very interesting and reveals a lot about the differences that exist in the world and always will exist. Cultural Relativism is that different cultures have different moral codes; this is a very true, but trying to understand this concept and spread it is not very likely to be possible which is what the article explains. For example when Darius, a king of ancient Persia, brings Greeks in to see what it would take for them to eat their dead fathers’ they are all horrified; just as when he brings in the Callatians to see what it takes for them to burn their dead they are equally as horrified. This shows how those two cultures trying to understand them way they deal with traditions; it is hard to make the other understand the reasoning behind it.
This issue is presented in many books as well, such as Things Fall Apart, which is a novel about English men coming to a tribal Africa and try to convert the villages to Christianity. This is very difficult thing for many of the Africans to understand the way of the “white man,” and the “savage” lifestyle of the Africans is inhumane to the Englishmen. Such issues are also present in today’s society in just America alone. The aspect of religion alone is a major problem in America. Many people still believe that any and all Muslims are bad and are the cause of 9/11, when actually they are no different from any one else in the world.
When I started reading this article some of what I read I could just not believe and it was very hard for me to try and understand why anyone would do this. This just proves again how challenging it is to relate between cultures.

Beowulf Article

In the article two things really stood out at me, one being whether or not Beowulf could be seen as a real figure. The other being a statement from the poem, "in every nation one can prosper only by praiseworthy deeds."
Beowulf, can he be seen as a real person that an everyday man can use as a model? I would have to say no because the reader does not gain any real personal insight on his thoughts about his actions. If anything you have to read into the poem very deeply to see a glimce of whether or not he has any thoughts and even then it is still like guess work. If anything some can just see him as, eventhough he is a hero, a heartless bastard, because he has no reactions to any of the deeds he has committed. If you think about it he could be seen as a sadistic murderer, the serial killers of the world, because it seems as though they have no feelings as well and no one can truly relate to them. In fact at times it is hard to even consider him a hero because you do not know how he feels about such deeds.
The statement "in every nation one can prosper only by praiseworthy deeds," can be seen in many countries although in many societies today it is not the only way to prosper. In many war consumed countries those that in the country's mind do great things, such as win battles gain great strength in that nation. Many of them then become a prodominate leader in said country because of what they have done.
In a less let's say evil view, people such as doctors who save the lives of many people, also gain great respect and move up through the "ranks" and start to be searched out for more than others. Although in some societies ours one of the major ones, you can prosper without praiseworthy deeds. Actors and athletes prosper greatly in countries without doing any real praiseworthy deeds, because you can make a great movie or make a spectaular play but that is really not something that should be considered a praiseworthy deed.
Beowulf, I believe is not someone that you can see as a everyday man and hero, he is too outlandish and shows no feelings that someone can relate to. If he did show some sort of emotion he has the potential to be a great hero and many would want to relate to him
This statment about praiseworthy deeds is something that i believe is worth some merit because those that do great things deserve to have the aknowlegement of what they have done and need to be praised.

Hero losing its meaning?

Heroes, they can take on so many roles and have so many different characteristics. The difference of the heroes in Beowulf and Wuthering Heights, one helps out a whole country, while the other is out for revenge. Beowulf is your classic epic hero that completes a is extremely brave, your picture perfect hero. While Heathcliff on the other hand is not exactly someone you would really call a hero. Although through his childhood, after his father died, he was tortured by Hindley, and he was able to keep strong like a hero would and did not fight back. But as the abuse worsens he leaves and hopes to have revenge on Hindley for what he has caused him. So no Heathcliff is not your conventional hero but if you look past his need for revenge you can see that this suffering he undertook was very heroic in itself.
Heroes are not just different in literature but also in societies everywhere. Take for example a soldier, who gives his life for the protection of his country, versus a news reporter. Both can be considered a hero, but only one is actually portraying real heroic acts, while the other just reports about them. Heroes are one thing that I find a very controversial topic. There is such a wide span of what a hero can be classified as, from a superhero to just someone you look up to and hope to be like. I believe that the word hero is misconstrued; it has lost its meaning throughout time and does not have the same effect anymore. I do believe this to be true but that does not stop me from saying that my hero is my grandfather. He was a great man and I would give everything to be just like him when I am older, most of all I wish for his will to fight and his strength. By this I do not mean like brute force but mentally, he was such a strong willed and determined man and I loved that.

September monthly blog

In two works that we have read this month deal with abuse on a child, one being The Power of One, with Peekay. Peekay has to deal with the Judge and his “crew” during his early boarding school days. They physically abuse him by using torture, like Peekay having to hold the bar everyday for an allotted amount of time. They also mentally abuse him by calling him Pisskop, making fun of his body, and by using his nationality against him, by telling him that Hitler is going to come and lead all of the Rooineks to the ocean and kill them all off. Such abuse should not be put upon a child of five years-old; it is awful to imagine this to be true.
The other work that we have read that deals with abuse is “Eveline,” although unlike The Power of One, the abuse is just hinted at and not actually portrayed. Eveline talks about how her father was not kind to herself or her mother, which leads to the reader to suspect abuse. Although unlike Peekay she does not try to escape from this tormentor she ends up staying to deal with it. Again abuse to young children is just outrageous, especially when dealing with girls.
Abuse is a very commonplace thing to here about in today’s world; it is sad that a statement like that is true. But not only are there now TV shows about abuse, but everyday in the news you here about how some parent is put in prison because of what they have done to his child or about how some teen has committed suicide because of the abuse that she had got from his/her peers. It is so disappointing to here such things because it makes it seem that humans no longer have the morals to stop when they know they have gone too far or to never begin to reach that level in the first place.
To have dealt with some abuse myself and being able to escape it makes me feel so damn bad for those that are unable to free themselves from their tormentors. The only way was to escape it was by the aid of my friends and family and I thank them immensely. For this occurrence in my life I now will base my life on helping those in need of being freed. And I will NOT follow in the footsteps of abusers!